SHREDnews

SHRED: Who are the members of Stay and what do you each play?

Stay: Anthony Rainville – Vocals

Steve Ackles – Guitar

Anthony “Dubs” Amorelli – Drums / Percussion

Liam Hamel – Guitar

Alex Griggs – Bass

SHRED: When and how did Stay officially become a band?

Stay: Stay, as one would see it now became a band a little over two years ago.

SHRED: Is there any story behind the name Stay?

Stay: Yes. The band is named after a Temptations song.

SHRED: How would you describe your band’s genre?

Stay: It’s fair to say we slide ourselves into a multitude of genres. However, we are a pop rock band.

SHRED: Have you always wanted to be musicians?

Stay: No. Dubs wanted to be a professional hot dog eating champion. Other than that, yes. Music is a part of our lives like water and air and without it we probably would not know how to function.

SHRED: Do you have any major musical influences?

Stay: As a band and individually we are influenced by so many different artists from a wide range of styles. We are influenced clearly by the pop greats such as The Beatles and Michael Jackson. But we are also influenced by modern artists such as Third Eye Blind and Blink 182.

SHRED: Is there anyone who is the main songwriter in the band or is it a group process?

Stay: Everything is a group process. Each member of this band is talented in a multi-instrumental way. It leads to super cooperative moments and the occasional argument. But we have learned that in the end, we all love the final product.

SHRED: How was recording your EP Games With Girls?

Stay: We recorded Games With Girls with producer John Naclerio in New York. It was a super great time. He is a very talented dude who was able to push us to our fullest potential. Listening to the final mix playback was a great feeling.

SHRED: Do you have a favorite song off the EP?

Stay: We love them all! Especially Maddie Kthx because we just shot a music video for it with Shane Nelson. Stay tuned for that very soon!

SHRED: Do you have a favorite song to play live?

Stay: All of them. Duhh!

SHRED: What’s your favorite thing about playing a show?

Stay: We love performing for our dedicated fans and having the opportunity to reach out and meet new kids every night!

SHRED: Do you have a favorite venue that you’ve played at?

Stay: Some that stand out are the Knitting Factory in LA, Cicero’s in St. Louis, and The Chance in Poughkeepsie NY. We have played so many great venues across the U.S. that it’s hard to narrow that down.

SHRED: How was shooting your music video for Maddie Kthx?

Stay: Shooting was amazing. We shot our video with Shane Nelson in Minneapolis, MN. He was super rad. We were able to incorporate so much into a classic music video concept. We don’t want to spoil it though! Go watch the teaser @ stayrock.com!

SHRED: Is there any reason for choosing “Maddie Kthx” as the song used for the video?

Stay: Yes. We feel as though Maddie Kthx is a song everyone can relate to. It is an emotional ballad while being an upbeat pop song. We wanted the chance to transpose this into a visual experience for our fans.

SHRED: Stay was selected as a finalist for the Pac Sun Battle of the Bands at Harper’s Ferry on November 16^th, how was that?

Stay: Great! Thank you Pac Sun. (P.S. Dubs likes your girl pants)

SHRED: What’s a random fact about you that fans might not know?

Stay: All of us are 19 except one of us. Ohh, and we run our MySpace ourselves and actually talk to fans there.

SHRED: What do you do when you’re not playing shows or writing music?

Stay: Steve is on the internet or eating buffalo chicken. Tony is hitting up fans online and watching Die Hard. Dubs is falling off his long board, driving to Taco Bell, drooling over Kristen Stewart, or with his family. Liam is at some party or “borrowing” stranger’s bicycles. Alex is being Alex, talking to strangers, cooking, or buying vinyl records.

SHRED: What can fans expect from Stay in the upcoming months?

Stay: You’ll see.

SHRED: If you could create a dream tour, who would be on it and why?

Stay: Blink 182, Brand New, TREOS, Jimmy Eat World, Paramore, Third Eye Blind, Eminem, Passion Pit, Imogen Heap, Queen, The Who, The Beatles, Cher, Taylor Swift, Katy Perry, Stay and Clay Aiken opening select dates. I think the “why” portion is self explanatory.

SHRED: Do you have any advice for other bands, who are just starting out?

Stay: Only two things in the entire world can wreck a talented group of musicians from failing. Drugs and Laziness. Work hard, meet people, develop professionalism, and be honest with yourselves and others. Ohh, and never put Twinkies on your pizza.

SHRED: Is there anything else you’d like to add?
Stay: Please check us out at www.stayrock.com! Add us on MySpace because we would love to talk to you no matter who you are or where you live. As always we would like to thank our fans, friends, families, endorsers, and everyone at Shred for the interview!